Geocaching.com Presents: A Brief History of Geocaching

Civilian GPS devices become 10 times more accurate on May 2, 2000 - when "Selective Availability" was turned off

The history of geocaching stretches back to a single container placed in the hills of Oregon, USA. The date was May 3, 2000. The idea was radical. Treasure hunters would be guided by signals from orbiting satellites. The first geocache was found within days. It sparked a global movement to get off the couch and get outside.

The hobby has spread around the world. There are now more than 1.7 million geocaches and more than five million people call themselves geocachers. Join our ranks by exploring Geocaching.com.